Conveyor structure

ABSTRACT

A cross-link conveyor as in connection with a potato harvester wherein each link thereof has upstanding resilient fingers spaced therealong and molded integral therewith, the fingers of successive of said links being in staggered relation with respect to one another and said fingers being spaced apart such that two or more adjacent of said fingers receive and retain therebetween potatoes as distributed onto said conveyor for travel by said conveyor

United States Patent Anderson et a1.

CONVEYOR STRUCTURE William S. Anderson, Braham, Minn. 55006; Foster L.Bucher, 222 N. Cypress Street, Cambridge, Minn. 55008 Filed: June 25,1971 Appl.No.: 157,000

Inventors:

Related U.S. Application Data Continuation of Ser. No. 1,384, Jan. 81970. abandonedt U.S- Cl ..209/84, 171/126, 198/197 Int. Cl ..B07b13/04, B65g 15/30 Field of Search "198/184, 189, 193, 195, 197-198;

July 25, 1972 [56] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS964,464 8/1950 France 198/ l 95 Primary Examiner-Edward A. SrokaAltorneyReif and Gregory [57] ABSTRACT A cross-link conveyor as inconnection with a potato harvester wherein each link thereof hasupstanding resilient fingers spaced therealong and molded integraltherewith, the fingers of successive of said links being in staggeredrelation with respect to one another and said fingers being spaced apartsuch that two or more adjacent of said fingers receive and retaintherebetween potatoes as distributed onto said conveyor for travel bysaid conveyor 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented July 25, 19723,679,050

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR. W/(Z/flM .s': lama/P50 FOSTER 4. El/C/VEI?CONVEYOR STRUCTURE This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 1,384filed Jan. 8, 1970, now abandoned.

SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to anapron or conveyor to carry a root crop and more particularly to carry acrop such as potatoes in connection with a potato harvester.

Conveyors commonly embody the use of flights thereon which flights arelongitudinally spaced transverse stop members. With the use of flights,the crop carried by the conveyor tends to gather against the flight withupward and downward movement of the conveyor and as a result the crop isunloaded or discharged from the conveyor in a bunched up condition.

It is desirable to carry a root crop on a conveyor in the same conditionof distribution in which the crop is loaded onto the conveyor. Presentin the prior art are conveyors embodying the use of fingers.Representative of such conveyors are the disclosures in the US. Pat.Nos. l,l82,l44; 2,633,685; 2,643,754; 2,843,264; and 2,769,539. The US.Pat. No. 144 discloses long fingers mounted radially about the hub andin effect, forming a wheel to grip potatoes and transfer them as fromone conveyor to another. The US. Pat. No. 685 shows the use of short,nubby rubber fingers for the purpose of cleaning a potato by having saidpotatoes roll over the fingers. The U.S. Pat. No. 754 shows the use ofrubber fingers projecting from a solid conveyor or belt to move or'nudgea crop along the ground to a pick-up conveyor. The U.S. Pat. No. 539shows the use of rubber fingers projecting from a solid conveyor or beltwhich fingers are sufficiently close together and are of such stiffnessas to form a surface to support potatoes thereon for the purpose ofhaving the potatoes roll over the ends of the fingers onto anotherconveyor. The fingers here are of such stiffness that only objects suchas stones would be lodged between adjacent fingers to be carried by theconveyor to be discharged at the end thereof as onto the ground.

The invention herein is distinguishable from the reference materialcited. The structure disclosed herein embodies a conveyor comprised ofinterengaged longitudinally spaced cross links with each link havingspaced therealong molded fingers integral therewith and upstandingtherefrom, successive of said links have said fingers arranged thereonto be in staggered relation with respect to one another to yieldinglyprovide space therebetween to receive and retain individual of saidpotatoes. The conveyor retains and discharges the potato in the samedistribution as received, said potatoes being individually nestedbetween fingers and discharged free from any bruising which results frompotatoes bunching up and rolling en masse on a conveyor.

It is an object of this invention to provide a conveyor arranged andconstructed to receive and discharge a root crop such as potatoes in thesame distribution as received.

It is another object of this invention to provide a conveyor comprisingcross links, said links embodying upstanding rubber fingers integralherewith with the fingers of successive of said links being in astaggered relation with respect to each other.

It is more specifically an object of this invention to provide aconveyor comprising longitudinally spaced interengaging cross links,said links respectively having a rubber coating molded thereon andhaving integral therewith upstanding rubber fingers spaced therealong,adjacent of said fingers on successive of said links being arranged tobe in staggered relation with respect to one another and said havingintegral with said coating, upstanding shoulder portions adjacent theirouter ends.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be setforth in the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which the like reference characters refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views and in which FIG. 1 is afragmentary view in perspective of a conveyor,

FIG. 2 is a broken view in top plan ofa portion of a conveyor,

FIG. 3 is a broken view in elevation corresponding to FIG.

FIG. 4 is a broken view of a conveyor in vertical longitudinal section,and

FIG. 5 is a view in vertical section of a detail of structure on anenlarged scale.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to the FIGS, anendless conveyor 10 is indicated in FIG. 4 and a segment 12 thereof isshown in FIG. I in sufficient detail for a full disclosure of thestructure comprising the subject matter of the invention herein.

It will be understood that the conveyor 10 will be mounted in a usualmanner to pass over sprocket wheels such as sprocket wheel 15 and overindividual conventional supports such as the idler roller 16. Theconveyor will be operated as in connection with a potato harvester.

Said conveyor is comprised of longitudinally spaced interengaging crosslinks, representative of which are the link members 20-25 hereinafterreferred to as links.

The link 25 will be described in detail. Said link as shown comprises arod 26 having a lowered central dodged or off-set portion 27 whichoffset portion has upwardly inclined end portions 28 which end portionsas illustrated extend outwardly horizontally to be bent at right anglesforwardly and then are upwardly reversely bent to form hook-liketerminal portions 29 by means of which one link interengages another asshown.

Said rod 26 has molded thereon a rubber coating 30 extending thereacrossbut sufficiently short of the terminal ends thereof for said rod toaccommodate adjacent said terminal portion 29 by sprocket drivingwheels.

Molded at one end of said link integral with said coating is anupstanding outwardly angled retaining member 31 formed here as ashoulder. Also molded integral with said coating spaced along andupstanding from said rod are a plurality of fingers 33. Said fingers aresufficiently resilient or flexible to yield to a potato for the purposeof nesting potatoes between adjacent of said fingers and said fingerswill be spaced at such intervals as to prevent potatoes from rolling ormoving therebetween. Like portions of other links are indicated by likereference numerals. Said fingers will be of sufficient height to retainsaid potatoes therebetween.

With reference to FIG. 1 it will be noted that link 24 has its shoulder31 at its end which is transversely or diagonally opposed to that of theshoulder bearing end of the link 25. This successive of said links havesaid shoulders disposed at diagonally opposed ends with respect to oneanother. Said fingers 33 are disposed on said links whereby the fingersof successive of said links are in a staggered or an offset relationwith respect to one another.

Said links of sufficient number comprising the conveyor 10 will beinterengaged as illustrated in FIG. 1 to form an endless conveyor ofdesired length.

OPERATION The conveyor 10 when used as a primary elevating conveyor willreceive potatoes as from the crop digging blades. The conveyor willretain the potatoes and stones and clods of dirt thereon in the samedistribution in which they are received. Loose dirt and small particlesof dirt will fall away through the space between the links. Potatoes,stones and clods of dirt retained on said belt will be nested betweenadjacent fingers and will be held in separated position throughout thelength of travel over the upper run of the conveyor. Means supplementaryof said conveyor may be provided for separation of the potatoes fromother material, upon their discharge from said conveyor.

The finger equipped conveyor herein thus prevents potatoes from rollingor bunching up and thus prevents bruising of the potatoes which resultsfrom contact between potatoes and from contact between potatoes withstones and clods of dirt. Also, potatoes in being held in nestedposition are prevented from rolling crosswise and off of the conveyor inthe situation where the harvester is in operation on side-hillconditions. Further, the nesting of the potatoes maintains them in adistributive condition over the conveyor and thus prevents roll back orbunching up of the potatoes against flights, and thus substantiallyincreases the effective load or carrying capacity of the conveyor.Further, the potatoes in being discharged from the conveyor in spacedrelation to one another are more efficiently and expeditiously handledby mechanical separation equipment upon discharge than are potatoesdischarged in bunched condition. Potatoes coming onto the conveyor closetogether are effectively separated by being nested between adjacent setsof fingers and are thus retained immobile until discharged.

Said shoulders are in alignment as carried by alternate of said linksand in this relation are spaced sufiiciently close together to preventthe passage of of potatoes therebetween. Thus said shoulders form ineffect, a cushioned retaining wall at either side of said conveyor.

The structure herein has proved to be very successful in use.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention herein which generally stated,consists in an apparatus capable of carrying out the objects above setforth, in the parts and combination of parts disclosed.

The following are the claims for the continuation application.

What is claimed is:

1. An endless conveyor belt construction having in combination,

interengaged cross links,

said links each comprising a rod having a lowered offset centralportion, said central portion terminating in upwardly inclined endportions,

said end portions having portions angled at right angles to said centralportion and being reversely curved to form hooks disposed in planes atright angles to the axis of said rod,

a rubber coating overlying said rod short of the ends thereof, and

a plurality of rubber fingers spaced along said rod integral with saidrubber coating and upstanding therefrom,

successive of said links having said fingers disposed thereon to be instaggered relation with respect to one another, and

said fingers being sufficiently resilient to yield to the weight ofpotatoes and to operate to nest and retain said potatoes therebetween.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein said rod has anupstanding outwardly angled rubber retaining member at one end thereof,said member being integral with said rubber coating, and

successive of said links respectively having said retaining members atdiagonally opposed ends thereof.

3. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein said fingers have heightjust sufficient to receive and retain potatoes therebetween.

4. The structure set forth in claim I, wherein said links are disposedin spaced relation longitudinally of said conveyor.

5. An endless conveyor belt construction having in com bination,

interengaged cross links,

each link comprising a transverse rod,

a rubber coating overlying each of said rods,

a plurality of rubber fingers spaced along each of said rods integralwith said rubber coating and upstanding therefrom,

successive of said rods having said fingers disposed thereon to be instaggered relation with respect to one another, and

said fingers being sufficiently resilient to yield to the weight ofpotatoes to nest gnd retgin s aid potatoes therebetween.

1. An endless conveyor belt construction having in combination,interengaged cross links, said links each comprising a rod having alowered offset central portion, said central portion terminating inupwardly inclined end portions, said end portions having portions angledat right angles to said central portion and being reversely curved toform hooks disposed in planes at right angles to the axis of said rod, arubber coating overlying said rod short of the ends thereof, and aplurality of rubber fingers spaced along said rod integral with saidrubber coating and upstanding therefrom, successive of said links havingsaid fingers disposed thereon to be in staggered relation with respectto one another, and said fingers being sufficiently resilient to yieldto the weight of potatoes and to operate to nest and retain saidpotatoes therebetween.
 2. The structure set forth in claim 1, whereinsaid rod has an upstanding outwardly angled rubber retaining member atone end thereof, said member being integral with said rubber coating,and successive of said links respectively having said retaining membersat diagonally opposed ends thereof.
 3. The structure set forth in claim1, wherein said fingers have height just sufficient to receive andretain potatoes therebetween.
 4. The structure set forth in claim 1,wherein said links are disposed in spaced relation Longitudinally ofsaid conveyor.
 5. An endless conveyor belt construction having incombination, interengaged cross links, each link comprising a transverserod, a rubber coating overlying each of said rods, a plurality of rubberfingers spaced along each of said rods integral with said rubber coatingand upstanding therefrom, successive of said rods having said fingersdisposed thereon to be in staggered relation with respect to oneanother, and said fingers being sufficiently resilient to yield to theweight of potatoes to nest and retain said potatoes therebetween.